Regal Cinema

In Mossend, a small town in North Lanarkshire, situated to the east of its ‘sister town’ Bellshill, and north of the larger town of Motherwell, the Pavilion Theatre of Varieties opened in 1912 as a cine-variety theatre. (It is listed as presenting “Pictures and Varieties” in the 1915 Bioscope Trades Directory, and having 950 seats.)

According to the 1923 Kinematograph Year Book, by that time the Pavilion Theatre was being operated by Mossend Pavilion Ltd. The resident manager was George Sedgeworth, there was one show nightly and two changes of programme each week.

By the 1928 edition the operator was Mossend Theatre Co. Ltd, while, by the 1932 edition, not only had Mossend Pavilion Co. returned, but the cinema was now called the New Pavilion Theatre. A British Thomson Houston (BTH) sound system had been installed, and presumably some associated refurbishment had taken place. By that time, the stage was 30ft deep, the proscenium 25ft wide and there were five dressing rooms (pictures and variety were still being presented).

By the 1934 edition, the cinema, still owned by Mossend Pavilion Co., had been renamed the Regal Cinema.

In May 1937 George Palmer acquired the Regal Cinema and it joined the Associated G.P. Cinemas chain. A Western Electric (WE) sound system was installed. Shows were continuous, indicating films were being shown full-time. The seating capacity was still given as 950.

The Regal Cinema was destroyed by fire in 1946.

[Note: I have been unable to determine a precise address for this cinema.]

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